USB Type-C Connectors

It wasn't terribly long ago that pretty much every cell phone came out with its own custom charging cable. It was a major step forward when they all (except Apple) standardized on the USB micro-B connector.

However, there are a number of limitations with the. First, it takes a minimum of three attempts to get the orientation right when trying to plug in a cable. Second, it's limited in maximum current carrying capacity.

Now, along comes the USB 3.1 Type-C cable and connector. It's similar in size, universally polarized (the connector and the cable can be plugged in any end to any end and in any orientation), it has much higher data thru-put, and it's spec'ed to carry up to 3 Amps. Further, it has alternate modes so other standards, such as DisplayPort and Thunderbolt.

The connectors are larger than the micro-B, as you can see in the comparison photo above: micro-B, Type-C with only surface mount connections, and Type-C with both surface mount and thru-hole wiring, and a US dime. The size difference won't be an issue in most cases, but it could be in really small devices. My guess is that we'll be talking about a smaller, Type-D connector, not long from now.

All three of the shown surface mount connectors have thru-hole mounting tabs. That adds strength, but it does bring one caution with it. Looking at the micro-B connector in the image on the right, you can see that the tabs are formed out of the same sheet metal as the shell.

You can also see that the tabs don't stick all the way through the PC board. This can lead to some deception when soldering. Without the tabs protruding, it's easy to believe that you don't have enough solder in the connection. If you feed more solder in, it will likely wick along the tab, and end up inside the receptacle, preventing the cable from being plugged in. If you're hand soldering or reworking these type of connectors, keep a close watch on the amount of solder you're using.